The 2019 Honda Accord soldiers into the new model year with a $150 base price increase compared to where the model started last year, although some versions cost less than they did last year the automaker said last week.

Honda has left its mid-size sedan untouched after debuting as a new model for 2018 and priced the Accord to start at $24,615. The figure includes a mandatory $895 destination fee. Trim levels see slight tweaks, but standard features for all models still include LED headlights and taillights, dual-zone automatic climate control, a 7.0-inch digital and customizable meter situated in the gauge cluster, and a suite of active safety equipment including adaptive cruise control, active lane control, and automatic emergency braking.

The base Accord LX's price is up, but the more popular Accord EX sees its price sliced to $28,515, a $120 decrease from last year. Adding leather upholstery and a few other features hikes the price to $31,015. The Accord Sport's price is up about $400 to $31,605, while the range-topping Accord Touring drops to $36,695.

Hybrid models start at $26,215, Hybrid EX trims carry a $30,115 price, EX-L costs $32,615, and the Hybrid Touring trim rings in at $34,990.

One note for shoppers: Honda has dropped the 1.5-liter inline-4 engine from the Touring trim. Now, the sole powertrain in the range-topping Accord is the previously optional 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission. The 1.5-liter engine still serves as the entry-level powertrain and remains paired to a CVT. For those looking for a dash of excitement, a 6-speed manual transmission continues on as an option on Accord Sport models.

The 2019 Accord began shipping to dealers on Nov. 1, but buyers will likely swing a better deal on remaining 2018 Accord models.

Honda is trimming down its lineup and on the chopping block along with the Civic coupe and Honda Fit is the Accord sedan with a manual transmission. Honda was willing to sell the three-pedal version with two engines, but the 2.0T paired with the six-speed made for an excellent daily driver. As of now, there are two left in the entire country if you want a new one.

Almost everyone knows that pretty much any generation Honda Accord is just a “damn good car” but the current model was available with a 2.0-liter turbo that was a “de-tuned” version of the same motor in the bonkers Civic Type R. In the Accord it put down a very respectable 252 horsepower and 273 lb-ft. While the Accord was not a dedicated sports sedan, it handles better than most mid-sizers in the segment and the six-speed manual, like most Honda gearboxes, is just a joy to row through the gears.

If you happen to be in the market for the last of the manual 2.0T Accords, according to both Cars.com and Autotrader you have two cars to pick from in the entire country.Once these cars are gone there are a handful of 2018+ used cars for sale, but in typical Honda fashion, the prices between the new and the used models aren’t terribly wide. If you don’t need the extra power and can live with the smaller 1.5T motor that gives you somewhere between 15-20 new cars with three pedals on the floor.

While I don’t think the 2.0T manual Accord will someday be a future classic, you may be able to brag to your friends in their crossovers that your Accord was one of the rarest cars on the market.

2021 Honda Accord Gets Refreshed Styling, Updated Hybrid Variant, New Sport Special Edition Trim, plus Wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ Integration

October 12, 2020 — TORRANCE, Calif.
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• All Accords benefit from upgraded styling, tech and safety features
• Accord Hybrid gets unique updates including stronger, more responsive acceleration and upsized 19-inch alloy wheels for Touring trim
• New Sport Special Edition adds premium features to popular Sport 1.5T

Widely regarded by experts as the benchmark midsize sedan, Honda raises the Accord's game for the 2021 model year with a refresh that includes updates to styling, technology, drivability and safety features. In addition, unique upgrades were made to performance and design for the ultra-efficient and refined Accord Hybrid. On-sale at Honda dealerships beginning Oct. 13, the 2021 Accord will carry a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) starting at $24,770 (not including destination and handling), while the 2021 Accord Hybrid will be available at a starting MSRP of $26,370.“

The new Honda Accord Hybrid is really the Accord to buy, offering customers more of everything they like about Accord -- more power, refinement and, of course, excellent fuel economy ratings,” said Dave Gardner, executive vice president of National Operations at American Honda.

2021 ACCORD UPGRADES

For the 2021 model year, all Accords boast a wider, restyled grille for an even more sophisticated look, along with improved integration of the Honda Sensing® system's radar unit. Flanking the new grille on Sport and above trims (EX and above on Hybrid) are new LED high- and low-beam headlights with longer and wider down-the-road illumination. Also new are smaller openings for the fog lights. Additionally, LX, EX-L and Touring trims all receive new alloy wheel designs, while a new color is available for Sport, Sport Special Edition (SE) and Touring trims: Sonic Gray Pearl.

Inside, further enhancements to the class-leading style and sophistication of Accord's cabin include an 8-inch Display Audio touchscreen entertainment system now standard on all trims (previously, EX and above). Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ integration also are now standard (previously EX and above), and EX-L and Touring trims (EX and above on Hybrid models) get new wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ integration.

The combination of wireless charging and wireless smartphone integration eliminates the extra step of physically connecting the phone, making Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ ready to go and freeing up an additional USB port for charging a separate phone. Front USB ports on all grades have been moved to the front of the center console for easier access, and Sport and higher trims (EX and higher trims for Accord Hybrid) now include dual 2.5-volt USB ports for rear seat passengers.

All Accords also receive a new Rear Seat Reminder, while upper grades gain a new Low Speed Braking Control system.

ACCORD HYBRID

The 2021 Accord Hybrid benefits from updates to the innovative Honda two-motor hybrid system for a more direct and immediate throttle response with a more natural acceleration feeling as engine revs climb in concert with the driver's throttle input. With a peak total system output of 212 horsepower and peak torque delivery of 232 lb.-ft. right off idle, Accord Hybrid has the most power and torque in its class, with a top fuel economy rating of 48 mpg2.

Thanks to the unique configuration of the two-motor hybrid system, the Accord Hybrid also can spend more time operating solely on electric power than competing hybrid models, imbuing Accord with a smoother and more refined driving feel. Also, Accord's sophisticated brake-by-wire technology offers more natural and consistent braking performance and pedal feel versus competing models, seamlessly blending mechanical and regenerative braking force.

Honda's two-motor hybrid system uses a propulsion motor and a generator/starter motor built with a patented Honda design made with magnets using no heavy rare-earth metals. This reduces magnet cost and weight, while also reducing reliance on rare-earth metals, helping avoid the often negative environmental impact of mining them.

The hybrid powertrain control system manages the power delivery between each component and seamlessly switches between EV Drive, Hybrid Drive and Engine Drive for maximum efficiency with no input from the driver. Accord Hybrid drivers can further maximize fuel efficiency, or power, by selecting between Sport, EV and ECON modes using the three buttons behind the push-button gear selector.

Already, Honda leads all full-line automakers in fleet-average fuel economy and low CO2 emissions according to the U.S. EPA, with 27 vehicles that received EPA combined fuel economy ratings of 30 mpg or higher.

Visually, Accord Hybrid adds its own unique touches to the styling updates made to the entire 2021 Accord lineup, including a blue H-mark on the grille and Hybrid badges on the front fenders and trunk lid. This year, Accord Hybrid Touring grade features 19-inch wheels, giving it an upscale and sporty appearance.

NEW SPORT SPECIAL EDITION

The Accord Sport SE is new to the lineup for 2021, replacing Accord EX 1.5T and expands on the popular Sport trim with additional sought-after features. The new Sport SE adds leather seats, heated front seats, a four-way power passenger seat to complement the addition of 12-way power driver's seat, heated mirrors, Smart Entry, and remote engine start to the popular Accord Sport 1.5T grade. This is in addition to the already generous equipment on the Sport 1.5T, which includes dual rear USB ports, leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters, leather-wrapped shift knob, and an 8-speaker audio system. Visually, Accord Sport and Sport SE are distinguished from the other trims by a rear trunk lid spoiler, trim-specific 19-inch wheel design, LED fog lights, dark-chrome grille and chrome exhaust finishers.





POWERTRAIN AND DRIVING DYNAMICS

In addition to the updates made to Accord Hybrid's two-motor system, the 2021 Accord's two turbocharged engines receive updated engine management software for more linear and responsive throttle control. In addition, the 1.5-liter turbo has improved Idle Stop performance, with quicker engine start-up when the driver releases the brake.

A 192-horspower 1.5-liter VTEC Turbo® engine is standard in Accord LX, Sport, Sport SE and EX-L grades, while Accord Sport 2.0T and Touring are available exclusively with a 252-horsepower, 2.0-liter VTEC Turbo®.

The braking system has also been updated for smoother engagement, especially at low speeds such as in stop-and-go traffic and in parking situations.



SAFETY AND DRIVER-ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES

For the 2021 model year, all Accords receive a new Rear Seat Reminder and a rear seatbelt reminder as standard equipment. The Rear Seat Reminder chimes when the car is turned off, with a notification on the digital meter reminding drivers to check the rear seating area when exiting the car for children, pets or other precious cargo. The rear seatbelt reminder uses a warning on the digital meter to let drivers know if rear seat passengers have not fastened their seatbelts.

Accord Touring and Hybrid Touring trims now feature a new front and rear braking system called Low Speed Braking Control. Using sonar-based parking sensors, the new system can sense solid objects at low speeds, such as in parking situations, and warn the driver or apply the brakes to help avoid or mitigate a collision.

Honda Sensing® receives updates to Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Lane Keeping Assist system (LKAS). For 2021, ACC now has smoother braking when following another vehicle, while LKAS offers more effective and natural lane centering. Additionally, the steering wheel and dash controls for ACC and LKAS now feature industry-standard icons.

The 2021 Accord targets a 5-star Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), including the highest available rating of GOOD in all collision tests and SUPERIOR for frontal cash prevention. Also, the updated standard LED headlights have been designed to achieve a GOOD rating in the rigorous IIHS headlight standard.


Accord Key Features


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We won’t bury the lead. The 2021 Honda Accord is still a stupendous sedan and arguably the best in its segment. The car was completely revamped for 2018, and none of its competition have overtaken it since. Some among us will contend that the Mazda6 is top dog for pure driving enjoyment, but the Accord stands tall alongside the Mazda and is only getting better as this latest generation is treated to its mid-cycle update.

That said, there is one specific change that does have us bummed, and that’s the loss of the manual transmission. With a take rate of just 2%, Honda decided it wasn’t worth the trouble anymore. Guess you’ll just have to buy a Civic Type R.
In typical Honda fashion, changes are subtle enough that you may not notice them without a deeper look. The biggest appearance switch-up is a larger and restyled grille. It looks grander than before, even if you’d be hard pressed to tell the 2020 apart from the 2021 at first glance. Honda also redesigned the LED headlights for better illumination (likely the result of IIHS testing). Lastly, designers reduced the size of the fog light openings and added new wheel designs.

Tech enhancements are more abundant, and they’re nice enough that you may want to spend the extra dollars on a 2021 over a potentially discounted 2020. Even the base trim now gets Honda’s 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. And if you snag an EX-L or Touring (or EX on Hybrid models), CarPlay and Android Auto are upgraded to wireless connectivity — a Honda first. It worked flawlessly for us, never crashing or failing to load. Even when running navigation and streaming music with our phone on the wireless charger, our phones never overheated, which is something we can’t say for BMWs. Honda also added two rear seat USB ports.



You shouldn’t notice any differences in driving the unchanged standard 1.5-turbo four-cylinder (192 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque) or the upgrade 2.0-turbo four-cylinder (252 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque). However, the Hybrid model that we drove has been updated. Total system output is still 212 horsepower and 232 pound-feet of torque, but Honda says it has retuned the hybrid system “for a more direct and immediate throttle response with a more natural acceleration feeling as engine revs climb in concert with the driver’s throttle input.”

To fully understand that, we’ll give you a quick refresher on how the Accord Hybrid’s powertrain works, because it’s rather unusual in operation. In most circumstances, the electric motor solely powers the front wheels. Its battery pack is then replenished by regenerative braking and the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine acting as a generator. The benefit here is that you get supremely smooth acceleration with an unnoticeable switchover from electric to “gas” power. Plus, the Accord Hybrid is significantly quicker than all of its competitors. Only when you’re cruising at highway speeds does a clutch engage allowing the engine to directly drive the wheels. By contrast, a parallel hybrid, such as Toyota uses, employs an electronically controlled CVT to constantly meter out power to the wheels from the gas engine, the electric motor or both depending driving situations.

Due to the engine acting as a generator, the noises it makes don’t always align with what the human ear is accustomed to hearing as revs rise and fall. Honda thinks its 2021 updates make this process more normal even though the physical components are all carryover, and it fundamentally works the same as before.

As we drove through the steady misting from the northern edges of Tropical Storm Zeta in super tropical southeast Michigan, the disconnect between throttle position and engine revs was still abundantly noticeable. The complete lack of musicality from the engine itself, however, does a decent job of masking where exactly the revs are. It goes from a low buzz, to a medium buzz, and eventually with the throttle flattened, to a slightly higher and louder buzz. If you’re familiar with a CVT’s operation, this won’t seem unusual. Ultimately, the disconnect between sound and throttle position is less of an issue than Honda is making it. It’s a hybrid — a little weirdness is expected.



Honda claims a 0-to-60-mph time of about 6.5 seconds, which is outrageously quick for a large hybrid sedan that’s rated at 48 mpg combined or 43 mpg for the Hybrid Sport and Touring. It’s also a full second quicker than the significantly less efficient 1.5T. The electric motor gets the car off the line quickly, but throttle response at speed is disappointing. It’s a one potato, two potato, thr- count from when your foot goes down to when the Accord Hybrid begins its surge forward. Similar to a turbocharged engine building boost, the Accord scoots once it’s caught up to your foot. Response improves by a bit in Sport mode, but who wants to drive a fuel-efficient hybrid around in a mileage-sapping “Sport” mode all day?

The Accord Hybrid still encourages backroad shenanigans should you so desire. Our Touring trim tester had the adaptive dampers that can be firmed up by a tap of the Sport button. Just as we found in our last Accord Hybrid review, this one can tear up a twisty section of road and leave you grinning at the end. Its composure through back-to-back corners is laudable. We’ll credit some of this car’s excellent balance in these situations to its battery location below the back seat and therefore in between the axles. There’s a beautifully controlled lean when pushed, as the suspension has just enough forgiveness in it to sop up mid-corner bumps without upsetting the chassis. It’s just stiff enough to give the driver total confidence to keep pushing, and it’s frankly astonishing how well this big, front-drive sedan handles. We’re also grateful for the low seating position and skinny A-pillars, more icing on an already delicious cake.

The 2.0T is still the go-to for enthusiasts who want power, but Accord Hybrid owners are denied none of this car’s cornering chops. Plus, the attractive new 19-inch wheels don’t seem to hurt ride quality too terribly on rough pavement, even if a smaller size would be cushier.




All 2021 Accords gain some new and/or updated safety equipment. A Rear Seat Reminder is new and standard, while upper trims add rear automatic emergency braking. Honda also says it fine-tuned the adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist systems for better operation. Though better than the rather rudimentary systems in the Pilot and Passport siblings, both are still disappointing. Even on the closest setting it leaves far too large of a gap between cars, which encourages other highway users to constantly cut in front of you. The lane-centering system works well, but others such as Hyundai’s Highway Drive Assist and Nissan’s ProPilot Assist require even less driver input.When you start to look at pricing and features, a new strategy from Honda comes into focus: Honda wants you to buy the Hybrid. In addition to being quicker and way more efficient than the 1.5-turbo, Honda is also giving trim-equivalent Accord Hybrids more feature content than their gas-only counterparts. Basically, Honda has cherry-picked a number of notable features from higher trim levels on the gas engine Accords to tack onto lower trim Hybrid models. It’s a better value, and that’s even before taking into account your potential fuel savings over time.

The way we see it, there are two excellent options — Hybrid and 2.0T — and one just OK option, the 1.5T. Enthusiasts desiring more power alongside the 10-speed automatic transmission and every possible luxury feature should go for the 2.0T. Everybody else will be better off with any Hybrid trim. The base Hybrid is $1,600 more than a base 1.5T, but you’ll likely recoup that money in gas savings in a few years and enjoy the better acceleration and fewer gas station stops while you’re at it.

Compared to other green competitors like the Sonata Hybrid or Camry Hybrid, the choice to go Accord is even more obvious with the 2021 updates. Efficiency is mighty close, but the Accord is significantly quicker and it handles more like a sport sedan. It’s the hybrid for both the green car traditionalist, and for a driving enthusiast wishing for an efficient daily driver.